With personal protective equipment in short supply, local craftspeople have found creative ways to help meet this area’s needs.
The designs range from strictly utilitarian devices for health care workers to fashion-conscious face coverings for everyday people.
In the health care business, shortages of personal protective equipment in parts of Massachusetts and in different parts of the country have been well documented since the COVID-19 crisis began.
Locally, the gap has been partly filled by The Hive makerspace in Greenfield, which describes itself as a community workshop. For the past month, The Hive has been coordinating volunteers to make and donate protective face shields to health care workers. So far they have donated about 400, and have reduced the need in Franklin County to the point that they are now donating to health care providers as far away as Springfield.
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